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First Time Panning for Gold!!

Don

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Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
5,521
Location
Downeast, Maine
Saturday I went to central, western WA. to pan for gold. I did find a few very small flakes, that was actually too small to keep. :roll: Also found a couple pieces of quartz, which is a good sign that there may be gold near. Also found the black sand, that is what you're looking for, from what I've read. If there's anyone who has panned before, if you could critique my panning method, (either positive, or negative), to let me how I might improve (other than actually finding gold :lol:), I woulds appreciate it. :?: I'm going to be doing a lot of this in the future. Thanks!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf_jY9Irdpg
 
IDK anything about gold panning, But keep at it. I hope you find some nice size gold. good luck.
 
I will have to take a look when I get home...sorry i don't know the first thing about panning for gold but I have always been curious about it.
 
Black sand is almost everywhere as far as I know, but if you are panning down to black sand and fine flakes, you are on the right track to mastering the pan, best way to find gold is to look for it where it has been already been found, the more material you move the better chance of gold, under big rocks and cracks in bedrock will usually hold seasonal flood gold, hope this helps and AU to you my friend.
 
Don,
A couple of tips (you may already know)...
One, you have to move a lot faster.... taking that long with one pan is way too long. Once you have shaken it well, with water, move quicker to empty the pan of the big stuff, and wash it over the riffs in the side of the pan. Gold will settle very quickly.|
Second, read the stream. You need to be on inside corners of stream bends, and go for the 'holes'. Also, if there is a section where a hillside directly drains into the stream, work the area just down stream from that point.
Good luck, RickO
 
You can also practice your panning at home by using lead shot in your pan. If you put 10 shot in with a pan of sand and gravel and have 10 shot when the pan is down to almost nothing, then you are panning correctly. Do you get the Outdoor Channel? there is a show called Gold Fever and another called Prospecting USA that are great to watch. Or check out GPAA.com and see what all you can learn from them. Good Luck and we want to see pictures of your nuggets and flakes when you get them. : )
 
Hi Don!
My daughter gave me a membership to the GPAA for Christmas and I will be going panning in the Black Hills! Can't wait! I bought a bag of pay dirt on the internet to practice panning. I definitely learned a lot practicing with it. Can't wait to see the gold you find! Be sure to post pictures!

Good luck!
-Mike-
 
I don't find your videoshot on YouTube. There's inscription it had been removed
By the way I was panning gold recently in Italy. We worked at the river Elvo.
Happy hunting
 

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Hey Don,
Here is a link of the local clubs in Wa State. I see there is one in Vancouver, might be a good way to get some hints and where to go locally. I live in Kitsap County which is a county of silt from the Glaciers. No gold here, but I have found lots of Gold flakes, but those were at the bottom of a bottle of Goldschlager! Probably as close to finding gold that I will ever get. Good luck and HH.

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/RecreationEducation/Topics/HarvestingCollecting/Pages/gem_clubs.aspx
 
Yeah, I took the video off you tube the other day. Gold panning in Italy.......Did you find anything??
 
Hey Don,
Here is a link of the local clubs in Wa State. I see there is one in Vancouver, might be a good way to get some hints and where to go locally. I live in Kitsap County which is a county of silt from the Glaciers. No gold here, but I have found lots of Gold flakes, but those were at the bottom of a bottle of Goldschlager! Probably as close to finding gold that I will ever get. Good luck and HH.

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/RecreationEducation/Topics/HarvestingCollecting/Pages/gem_clubs.aspx


Thanks Gander!!!
 
Yeah, I took the video off you tube the other day. Gold panning in Italy.......Did you find anything??
Yeap, with my wife and my friends we spent two days at the Elvo river and took perhaps cca 1 gram gold at home.
 
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